Re: [tlug] [OT] Say _no_ to the Microsoft Office format as an ISO standard

["Stephen J. Turnbull" <turnbull@example.com>]

Roger Markus writes:

 > use computers.  The job is first, the tool is necessary for the job,
 > but there are not very many non-computer jobs (and by that I mean that
 > a computer is necessary, but it is secondary to the primary job) in
 > offices that allow people to use Linux.  If you don't understand this,
 > you are far far far out of touch with reality!  No wonder you don't
 > mind Microsoft!  You have no idea what's going on in the world!

One pair of alternatives that you clearly have is "to be, or not to be
-- a troll."  You've chosen the former, you take insult where none was
given.  Please stop it.

As for choice in the workplace, you're the one who's out of touch with
any reality but your own.  How would a pay cut of 70% grab you?
That's what most economics/finance profs take relative to what we
could get in The City.[1]  I'm pretty sure that there's a similar
situation for PhDs in CS/MIS, no?  I'll grant that profs are still way
overpaid compared to the rest of society so it's a relatively pleasant
choice (and I was very lucky in choice of wife, too, so I can actually
live at home without being driven insane), but the point is that you
(anonymous) do have a choice.  And you (Roger) surely have
alternatives, too; I don't disagree with the choice you've made, given
the world around you, but to say there is *no* choice is a cop-out.

 > 2) Again - you're talking about jobs for which the computer *is* the
 > job.  In my case, the job is something else, and the computer is just
 > a tool to assist with the main work.  Flippantly saying that I should
 > abandon my livelihood is rude and non-comprehending of real-world
 > conditions.

Who said to abandon your livelihood?  Of the last three potential job
changes I had a shot at, none required me to quit my current job
before responding to recruitment.  Only one was in academia, and even
that one would not have permitted me to continue teaching in my own
field (although my research would have been directly unaffected).  The
other two were both (wait for it!) *software-related*.  One was to be
I18N evangelist at MSDW, the other was to specify and maybe help write
software for U.S. Air Force program evaluation at a beltway bandit[2].
My Stanford PhD <effect type=razzberry /> in Economics has a little to
do with the latter (mostly jinmyaku, though), but the former it's
totally irrelevant.

 > So you don't understand what "Sounds like you need psychological
 > counsel" means?

Josh clearly understands.  You, however, apparently are missing the
crucial clue.  It may not (yet) be part of the culture you grew up in,
but the reality of psychological counseling is that *everybody should
do it*.  Like the other healing professions, shrinks spend most of
their time fixing what's broke, but the good ones are very much into
preventive care and what you might call shinri-kaizen.  After my
divorce, I spent about two years in counseling, ~2X/month at
$80/visit, and it is definitely the best investment I ever made.  Yes,
there are sucky shrinks and you have to pick well (which obviously is
hard if you're in a snafued state of mind), but if you get a good one,
it can be better than mother love.

If you are in a situation where you're really frustrated by your
environment, but economically you cannot justify a move, then Josh
could have left out the smiley and be precisely right.  In that kind
of situation, the world is bloody well not gonna get out of your
face.  The only way to peace is to adjust your own frame of mind, and
that's what psychological counseling is about, my friend.  Been there,
done that, and though it didn't manage to make me "nice", it did make
me better.

 > Yeah - *you* understand what you are writing, but the words you used
 > said something else!  Better learn how to more skillfully use English
 > mate!

Stop trolling.  An elbow in the ribs is not below the belt, unless
*you* jump up to meet it.  In soccer that's call "simulation", and
you, not Josh, would get a red card for it.

 > 
 > > This is quite admirable and all, but please learn how to make
 > > reasonable arguments to support your points. Otherwise people are
 > > going to dismiss you as just another raving Linux fanboy.
 > 
 > Good point.  There is talk of trying to get people interested in Linux
 > but when you actually try to do that, unpleasant things happen!
 > Better to just serenely sit on the deck of the ship and watch it rip
 > its bottom out on the rocks.  Wouldn't want to disturb people's
 > serenity beforehand in order to try and avoid the crash.
 > 
 > > And as a Unix user, I don't want to be unfairly lumped in with raving
 > > Linux fanboys. That is why I challenge FUD like yours. Not because I
 > > love Microsoft or hate you personally.
 > 
 > The truth is not FUD.  Again, I think you need to study the English
 > language so you know what the words and terms you use actually mean.
 > And no, I don't hate you either.  I hope you are able to take a little
 > criticism.  You can dish it out - I hope you can take it too!
 > 
 > Cheers,
 > 
 > RM
 > 
 > -- 
 > To unsubscribe from this mailing list, 
 > please see the instructions at http://www.tlug.jp/list.html
 > 
 > Please visit our sponsor at http://www.primustel.co.jp/tlug/

Footnotes: 
[1]  There's a reason for that, of course.  We non-productive people on
welfare can't really expect to be paid the same as those who actually
produce goods and services that are in demand.
[2]  Government orient consultant in Washington DC.